All posts tagged ‘Pokemon’

Over the years, Nintendo has traditionally produced my minions favorite gaming platforms. The very first one we owned was a GameBoy Advance. As of this moment, we still own that Gameboy Advance plus the DS, DS Lite, DSXL, DSi, 3Ds, and a GameCube, Wii and Wii U.

I wasn’t planning to yet upgrade to the Wii U as that console seemed to be their least favorite, though it was my favorite due to Wii Sports and Wii Fitness. But the Wii U arrived as a review unit and the three youngest minions–17, 13, and 13–were eager to unwrap it.

Did I need a Wii U? Here are the advantages of the new system over the old:

Play can be swapped to the GamePad. Meaning that one person can play on the tablet while the other person can use the television for something else. This is also true of streaming videos. If your children are still restricted to one television for the family, this is an incredibly helpful feature as one kid can play games and another can use the television at the same time.

When streaming Netflix on the Wii U, the episode descriptions show up on the tablet. When streaming on the Wii, we could only see episode numbers.

The GamePad can also be used as a television remote

The addition of the Wii U means another console in the house that can stream video, meaning we can move one system upstairs to stream on the television that belongs to only my husband and myself.

Nintendo has always had backwards compatibility for their systems, meaning games from the previous system can be used on the new system. That means all the Wii games will work on the Wii U. This is good because the games designed specifically for the Wii U have been rolling out slowly.

Nintendo Land comes with many Wii U systems and features twelve mini-games based on some of the company’s most popular games or brands, including Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Mario. The samples are fun to play but are basically a way for players to become acquainted with the new system. Of the mini-games, Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, in which players try to collect candy as a team, quickly became my youngest daughter ‘s favorite, has been playing Animal Crossing games for years.

My oldest son quickly dubbed Lego City Undercover as a “Lego version of Grand Theft Auto,” meaning that a player can do things like steal cars in the game but it’s okay because the character is an undercover police officer trying to stop bad guys and, of course, there isn’t the excessive gore and violence.

Like most Lego video games, it’s imaginative but appropriate for most kids.

A screencap from Lego City Undercover. Photo courtesy Nintendo.

My youngest son reported he crashed the car our intrepid officer drives to the precinct three times before he was able to arrive safely.

We also received a download code for the new Pokemon game, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity for the 3DS. The difference between this game and all the other Pokemon games is that users can play as a Pokemon, instead of simply training them.

Players can choose to be one of five Pokemon: Pikachu, Tepig, Oshawott, Axew, and Snivy. The 3DS technology is used to find round objects and that are then turned into portals to the various dungeons. The longer the 3DS is out, the more the games start to use this technology and this game has a more three-dimensional art style and the backgrounds definitely take advantage by modeling it all in 3D.

My minions haven’t unlocked and explored everything yet on the new game but pronounced it “really cool” to be a Pokemon rather than training up them for battle. My youngest daughter said the choice of what Pokemon to be is critical, as the skills required differ from task to task. Check the video above for a more in-depth examination of the new game. A demonstration preview can also be downloaded at Nintendo’s official site.

My conclusion on the Wii U:

If you haven’t bought the Wii, the Wii U is definitely fun to play and worth the price. If you have the Wii already, the upgraded console offers a number of new features and sharper graphics and the GamePad is a neat new feature. It all depends on your need for the new games and how much money you may be willing to spend.

I know if I didn’t have a Wii U, there would be a persistent demand for it right around the time a really cool new game is released. Especially if it’s a Pokemon game.

Wii U games include New Super Mario Bros. U, Monster Hunter 3, released on March 19, and you can find a list of all the available games at Nintendo’s Wii U site.

Pokémon Trading Card Game: EX Power Tins, Image: The Pokémon Company International

Pokémon Company International is about to release three new collectible Pokémon Trading Card Game: EX Power Tins, and GeekMom has a set to giveaway to one lucky reader!

The new tins come out on March 6th and are each themed to a different Pokémon. You’ll be able to purchase either Black Kyurem, White Kyurem or Keldeo style tins. Each will come with four Black & White booster packs, a Mythical Pokémon Meloetta card, bonus codes to unlock cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Online game, and one collectible foil card.

The tins will retail for $17.99, but you can win the whole set of three just by leaving a comment below telling us who you favorite Pokémon character is and why. We will select a random winner from entrants. The contest will run through midnight EST on Saturday, March 9th. (Contest open to shipping addresses within continental US only).

The official Pokémon TV app launched today for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android. It’s loaded with episodes of the show and special features that the Pokémon trainer in your life is going to love. It’ll keep your kids entertained and engaged when you’re stuck waiting for appointments or on long car rides, and you’ll love that the app is totally free.

It’s set to launch with 50 fan-favorite episodes of the series with additions to the library planned on a weekly basis. There are over 700 episodes to choose from over the course of fifteen seasons of the show so that alone keeps the content fresh, but they’ll also be airing additional content, some of it exclusive to the app.

The brand new Pokémon Black & White Plasma Storm cards don’t hit store shelves until February, but you can get your first look at three of the new cards right now! In keeping with the Plasma Storm theme, all cards have blue borders, blue tints and the Team Plasma shield. There is something for everyone in this 130 card expansion.

LugiaEX, Image: Pokémon

In addition to the new Team Plasma cards, you’ll get 14 new Trainer cards including three new ACE SPEC cards that are so powerful that players can only bring one into battle at a time. There are eight new Pokémon-EX like Victini-EX, Cobalion-EX, and Lugia-EX and four full-art Pokémon-EX rare Ultra cards.

Dowsing Machine, Image: Pokémon

Every theme deck and booster pack also includes a code card that unlocks virtual cards from the expansion that can by used in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. It’s only a few months until the release on February 6th, but with all these great new cards, it’s going to feel like a lot longer.

There have been several panels with GeekMom writers in the past year, such as at New York Comic Con, PAX, and PAX East. I saw videos of those panels and they looked like quite a bit of fun. There had never been a GeekMom panel at Dragon*Con, so I worked with the Kaleidoscope track to make this panel a reality.

The Are You A Geek Parent? panel took place on Friday, August 31st at 1pm. We had a packed room of about 80 people and it was a great success.

I came up with the idea of trying to get a panel at Dragon*Con many months ago. The only track that I had any contacts with was the Whedonverse track, but I knew that wouldn’t be a great fit for a GeekMom panel. I asked around to my friends and I got the contact information for the track director of the Kaleidoscope track from my friend and author Janine Spendlove. The Kaleidoscope track is a new track that is geared towards younger kids from the ages of 9 and 13. It was the perfect track for a GeekMom panel. It just took an email to the track director to get the ball rolling.

The Are You A Geek Parent? panel featured myself, GeekMom Patricia Vollmer, and GeekMom Ruth Suehle, and author and geek parent, Bryan Young. We also had a Kaleidoscope track member, Trish, who led our panel. She had a variety of topics for us to talk about.

I could go on and on about meditation forever. The benefits, the techniques, the how to and how not, but I know that’s not why you’re here. The title of this article is after all “Meditation for Geeks.” In Meditation for Geeks: Part 1, I explained to you why I meditate and I also gave you some basics. In part 2, I’m going to tell you about a few items that I use during my meditation routine.

There’s a pretty good variety of meditation apps out on the market today. As an iPhone user, my personal favorites are Mediate – Meditation Timer and Nature Music. Both are iPad compatible and are pretty simple in their nature.

The main screen lets you set a time for preparation, meditation, interval, and cool down period. I prefer to keep it set at 10 seconds for preparation and cool down and I have three timers preset for five, eight and 15 minutes. If you’re an Android user, look at Insight Timer. It’s the closest I’ve found to what I use and it has a free and paid version.

Nature Music by Red Hammer Software offers a wide variety of pre-mixed melodies as well as a sound mixer to mix your own melody. I really enjoy the Buddhist temple pre-mixed track and sometimes I add in some extra thunderstorm when I use it to sleep at night. For Android users, check out Nature Sound Relax and Sleep. If you prefer music while meditating, I suggest getting the Yoga to Sci Fi and Fantasy Classics album. Even when I’m not meditating, I enjoy listening to this to relax and unwind.

As anyone with children knows, it’s really hard to keep them quiet for an extended amount of time. Even the quiet game has its limitations before it’s more of a joke than anything else. To help keep my mind on my meditation, I prefer to use my Ludacris SOUL headphones. While they might not block out all the surrounding noise, they do the job well enough for me. I love the carrying case it comes with because I can toss them in my backpack and not worry about them getting messed up. This particular style is in-ear, so if you prefer an over the ear fit, you might want to consider another style.

Zen Design: Wandering Monk Chair Image: Dakster Sullivan

I don’t always feel like meditating in the same place. Sometimes, I can feel so much stress around my home that I can’t focus. For these times, I like to take my Wandering Monk Meditation Chair and go away. My favorite feature of this chair is how easy it is to fold and take with me anywhere. When visiting my parent’s beach house, it’s nice to able to grab my chair and head down to meditate to the natural sounds of the waves. Each chair is handmade from solid wood and features a back and seat cushion consisting of the highest density, three inch foam. The back cushion is a nice feature because it helps support your back while still keeping you in good posture. Of all the items on this list, I would have to say this is definitely at the top of the must haves for any meditating parent.

A centuries old tradition, meditation balls still have a place in meditation practice today. In addition to using them for your meditation practice, they are also great to help exercise your forearms, wrists, hands, and fingers. Personally, I’m still learning to use them, so when I meditate I just hold them. Holding one in each hand gives my fingers something to touch and keeps me from getting fidgety.

The best feature of these hand-painted Poke’ balls is the lack of annoying chimes to distract you while you’re meditating. This was a huge bonus for me because I find the chimes really annoying. Each set is either wooden (for the beginner) or glass (for the more advanced) and hand-painted to look just like something your Pikachu would call home. Even if you don’t meditate, they make a really neat decoration for the home or office.

What kinds of things do you use in your meditation practice? I’m always looking for ways to improve my practice and I welcome your suggestions.

“This Week With the GeekMoms” is a regular feature of our blog. Here’s where we get to tell you what we’ve been busy with in our non-blogging lives!

Brigid is excited to announce a new project in collaboration with publisher Candlemark & Gleam – Art & Words.

Kris Bordessa is leaving on a jet plane (no, actually, make that a prop plane), hopping over to Maui to see her son perform in the Institute of Hawaiian Music’s first music showcase. While she’s there, she’ll spend a couple of days exploring the island with her boys. A trip to Hana and sunrise from the top of Haleakala are on the itinerary, as is a stop at the Apple Store, where she will fondle the new iPad.

Judy Berna started the week in an unexpected way, when the beloved family poodle died just five days after receiving a clean bill of health from the vet. On a happier front, she was very pleased with the reception her son received when he and a good friend decided to enter the school talent show (with minimal talent).

I am no longer a GameStorm virgin. I have lived in Vancouver, Washington pretty much my entire life, and have never made it to a GameStorm before this year. It’s kind of like living in New York and never going to see the Statue of Liberty. This year marks the 14th GameStorm which has amassed 200+ (for a total of 1200 gaming enthusiasts) more people than previous years. Why is this? Well, some people I talked to conclude that we spend so much of our working time in front of a glowing monitor that does not talk to us, console us, or do much of anything except mock us, that we crave a warm person with a pulse to interact with.

Today I have learned what to do differently next year.

I need to register for the games I want to play ahead of time — months ahead of time. The very popular games (such as Quarriors) were full for the entire weekend.

Taking the kids is a good thing — at least for awhile. There was an entire room of kids’ activities that included a motorized marble run, face painting, board games, books, crafts, and other activities. This room was great for kids age 5 and under. However, I don’t think I could take my two-and-a-half-year-old out of this room really.

I will register for next year on the last day of the convention.

A motorized marble run for the kids!

My six-year-old daughter would have a blast here (she did not attend the convention this year, but is signed up for next year) — in the children’s room or otherwise. My two-year-old son? Well, he had fun in the children’s room until he was both hungry and tired. He was able to soak up a nap in his own bed while I waited for my husband Tim to play tag-team so I could head back to the convention.

My Locke and Key hand...

When I made it back, I was in card game heaven! I lurked around the Cryptozoic Entertainment table to play Locke and Key and Penny Arcade, the Game — Gamers vs Evil. Both were entertaining in their own way. Locke and Key I will devote an article to soon since I received a review copy. Penny Arcade is a deck-building game with cartoon pictures in the style of the Penny Arcade comic strip. It’s good, clean, adult, fun…well, okay, it isn’t clean but it is adult, and certainly snicker-worthy. Personally, I think it was better than Dominion since you can spend your money and energy on multiple purchases and not just one action per turn. I also managed to sneak in a game of Pokémon. This was difficult considering the key demographic for my favorite game is about twenty years younger than the average GameStorm attendee.

Making our Locke and Key plays...

Eventually, my card hands started dancing in front of me, and I knew it was time to go home and get a good night sleep to have another full day of gaming tomorrow…

Avid players of the Pokémon video games will recognize the name Seth McMahill almost immediately. As early as 2000, Seth was developing and play testing Pokémon: Stadium 2 for Nintendo. Pokémon is still a huge success with additions of the Black and White series of games and cards.

The newest addition to the family of games is PokéPark2: Wonders Beyond. Seth McMahill was able to join us and discuss the release of the game via a video interview.

Seth’s excitement for PokéPark2: Wonders Beyond was understandable when I started playing the game. As with most other console Pokémon games, the little pocket monsters’ cuteness is infectious.

Graphics: The graphics are the same quality and style of the previous Pokémon Wii games. A point of note is the loading screens: they are adorable! My daughter and I would sit and coo over them between scenes. In other parts of the game even my husband came through the room at a couple of points noting, “How did they manage to make Pikachu’s paw prints in the sand cute?” and “Even angry Pikachu is cute!”

Play: If you receive this game and expect a typical Pokémon arena of picking your six-Pokémon-team based on weakness and strength to other types of Pokémon, you will be sorely disappointed. I would call this game a cross between a Super Mario Brothers game and Super Smash Brothers. In other words, there is a lot of, “I’m sorry, Piplup isn’t in this world, please check the next one.” Battles aren’t necessarily based on picking the best move against your opponent so much as mashing buttons and shaking your Wii-mote like a Poloroid picture. Movement and dialog are fairly easy to get through. I have found playing the game repetitive and a little boring in parts. The solution to this problem has been to let my six-year-old daughter play through to become friends with all of the Pokémon so I can play the hard parts to keep the story moving and open up new areas on the map. I have no problem letting her play this game as all of the dialog is written, so it forces her to read (above her grade level for that matter).

Story: Poképark’s inhabitents are lost to the WISH WORLD via the evil Gothita, Gothorita, and Gothitelle. Pikachu, Snivy, Oshawott, and Tepig must keep the worlds from being swallowed by the Vortex. Each of the Pokémon have their own personality and special talent. Snivy and Oshawott seem to be our favorites as Oshawott is an otter (a favorite animal of mine) and Snivy is a bratty little tom-boy (her friends greet her to the party with the statement, “You’re a GIRL?!”).

Mother Approved or Dust Collector: Mother Approved. If you know of a Pokémon fan who likes the button mashing Wii games, PokéPark2: Wonders Beyond is an obvious choice. It lags a little for my taste, but this one and only flaw is remedied by letting my daughter friend all of the Pokémon for me, making this a good family game.

PokéPark2: Wonders Beyond is available in retail stores or on Amazon for $52 plus shipping.

Cupid shot his arrows at the Pokémon so they would be available for Valentine’s Day! What better geeky Valentine than these cute little pocket monsters who are all about love and loyalty. These Valentine’s are themed with the Pokémon featured in PokéPark2, the sequel to PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure. Click on the image below for the full image to print.

Dakster Sullivan is gearing up for the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D release. On Saturday she will be serving the Empire at City Walk OrlandoAMC theaters. If you’re in the area, stop by and say hi.

Marziah is getting her fourth grader ready for her first science fair entry, and it’s not a volcano.

Nicole Wakelin is going to see Star Wars in 3D this weekend. She’s still a wee bit leery about the whole thing, but Star Wars on the big screen is just too good to pass up.

Amy is descending into the madness that is the New York Toy Fair. She’ll be on the lookout for what’s new and awesome, and will try to contain her constant outrage about the narrow gendering of toys, at least until she can channel her rage into a blog post or two.

Judy Berna had a crazy week. After having the time of their lives, seeing the Winter X Games in person last weekend, her family finally moved out of the tiny temporary condo, and are now calling a much larger house ‘home’. Two days after the big move, three feet of snow blanketed their new yard. Their local resort got 57 inches of new powder, just in time for the town’s 1st Annual Evergreen Winter Festival (where her 11 year old bravely competed in the Rail Jam). Colorado living is everything they’d hoped it would be!

Kelly is attending her first ever book club meeting this weekend. She hopes she sounds intelligent and that the others won’t notice she’s only read half the book. Doh!

Corrina is recovering from jet lag from a whirlwind trip from the East Coast to Los Angeles as part of a press event for the upcoming The Loraxmovie. She discovered on this event that, yes, Betty White is just as awesome in person. More to come in articles in upcoming weeks. But the movie looks terrific!

Number 17 on my list of goals: Have one thriving crop. This mutant carrot is the outcome of my last gardening attempt. Photo by Cathe Post.

A friend of mine recently published her professional website after months of preparation. One of her premier posts shared 30 things she would like to do this year in honor of turning 30. It’s not a milestone birthday year for me, but the idea made sense. In an effort to set reasonable goals instead of unattainable demands, I’m going to follow in IndieKate‘s blog-steps and create a 34 in 2012 list. Here it goes…

Work on getting in shape - I just signed up for Fitocracy so I can log all of my Dance Central time in Workout Mode.

Keep up with my blog - I would like to share more on my personal blog than a log of articles I write for GeekMom. Some blogs I read just share one moment from the day that their readers can identify with. I’d like to do the same, if I’m not cleaning up the mess from said moment…

Keep up with Phineas and Ferb this summer - There is a calendar. I printed it for my daughter last summer and we only did about a third of the things that we wrote on it (let alone the ideas that came with it).

Watch less TV - My husband would probably not understand this one. I listen to Netflix shows while I’m on the computer. If I listened to audiobooks or podcasts instead, I would probably be better off.

Read More - I HATE reading. Due to my astigmatism, I end up reading the same line in a book multiple times before getting past it. It makes book reading less than fun. It’s “better” now that we have a Kindle Fire, because I can show one paragraph per page and increase the font size, but it still hurts my eyes – I have to really be interested in the book.

Learn at least one more of my husband’s miniature games – I played Warhammer Fantasy with my husband for a year. It was great fun. But, I played the season, won the tournament (and a really cool sword) and left it at that. So now I should catch up and learn Blood Bowl, Hell Dorado, and Dystopian Wars.

Learn an activity with my daughter - I don’t care if it’s Heroclix or something non-geeky – we had a lot of fun learning Pokémon together (have you heard the recent GeekMom podcast?). Mother/daughter bonding is good.

Earn my Tournament Organizer’s title for Pokémon - Since I keep running computers for Pokémon tournaments, I really should have a copy of the program on my computer. In order to have that, I need to earn my stripes!

Drink water - 8 glasses a day…blah…blah…blah…

GeekMom - The responsibilities of a core contributor on GeekMom are not unreasonable, and yet I find myself fighting to keep up from time to time. I would like to work to 125% of what is required, because GeekMom is a great community to be part of. I keep find myself saying, “That would make a great article.” So, sit down and write the article already!

Pre-school - This would be a goal for later in the year. As my youngest nears turning three, I look at the pre-school choices and cringe. The idea of teaching him myself is daunting, but doable – and he’d love it.

Eat more veggies - I eat veggies twice a day on a good day. I could be better about it.

Ride my bike - Even riding my bike once this summer would be more than I did last year.

Edit out the virtual garbage - This would include cleaning out the backup hard drive, deleting old documents, and having everything backed up and organized in one location…instead of three.

Make headway in the yard - We put in a playground (swings and a slide thanks to my parents) this last summer. We have a small rectangular backyard. I would like a third of it to be raised gardens and a stone oven for baking pizza/bread, a third lawn, and a third playground. It means DOING IT.

Have one crop thrive - I have a black thumb. Enough said.

Go back to church - I haven’t been in a year. Again, if I make it once this year, it will be a step in the right direction.

Vote - I missed our last local election and felt guilty about it for weeks. If you don’t vote, you don’t have a right to complain about how your taxes are spent.

Date - My husband. I need to make that clear. I have known my husband since 1993. We started dating in 1998, and were married in 2003. Several times we’ve misplaced the romance. We seem to find it if we can go on a date.

Pet the cats - Isn’t it scientifically proven that animals can reduce stress levels? I have four cats, so I should be four times less stressed, right?

ADHD - I need to learn all I can about this. My daughter was diagnosed with it, and I think it is a HUGE source of the behavior issues we have had in the last three years. Learning how to help her deal with her symptoms will be a relief.

Remain close to my parents - I am an only child. My parents live less than 5 miles away. I have tried very hard to be there for them this year as my mom has taken on difficult volunteer tasks and my dad has undergone chemotherapy. This year can only be better for them, right?

Have a cemented financial plan - Being in a one income household is hard. I am thankful that my husband’s job provides a roof over our head and food on the table. GeekMom Judy Berna had a similar resolution this year.

Learn how to fix one thing - My husband is very handy. He cooks, he sews, he fixes the stuff that needs fixing. Just once I should take initiative and learn to do it myself instead of asking him.

Attempt to potty train - My 2-year-old wants to do everything his sister does. So, perhaps this summer I will have the guts to attempt to teach him how to use the potty. Isn’t it as easy as throwing cheerios in the toilet and having them do target practice?

Write a book with my daughter - She loves drawing and telling stories. It would probably be a great geeky story – an epic tale even!

Brush up on my sign language - I used to be fluent, but if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Run a D&D campaign - I don’t know that RPG Kids would count. But I would run a one-shot game in a heartbeat.

Add to my client base - It would be nice to have a couple more clients to tutor in the art of running a computer.

Make one item out of one of my craft books - Complete a large fiber project (like an afghan) or a project from a craft book. I have a shelf full of craft/fiber books that are fun to look at, but I haven’t done anything other than look at them. I have done a few projects from the GeekDad books, but I want to complete ALL OF THEM.

Do one Arduino project - This is an intelligence challenge. Can I be smarter than the programming language? (I wasn’t in college – that’s for sure).

Enter one photography show - Just one. Just enough of a commitment that I have to attempt to take artsy-fartsy shots throughout the year.

I don’t think this list is unattainable. It will take some work, but there isn’t one thing on this list I can’t finish (maybe 33, but I will at least attempt it). What are your goals for 2012? Do you have some of the same crazy plans as I do?

GeekMoms Corrina Lawson and Cathe Post join Nicole Wakelin to talk about how to catch ‘em all with your kids. It’s more than just a collectible card game that sucks the cash out of your wallet. Kids learn everything from sportsmanship to genetics. No really, give it a listen and you’ll see just how much your kids can learn from this popular game.

Head over to Pokemon.com and click on Trading Card Game for information on leagues and events in your area!

It was a dark and stormy night in Portland, Oregon. Yes, it really was. We had high wind and inches of standing water on the roads. Even with the less than optimal weather conditions, the Aladdin Theater held a nearly sold out crowd to W00tstock Presents: Wil Wheaton vs. Paul and Storm.

The Doubleclicks were as nerdy and fabulous as ever. As Paul pointed out, they really do steal the show. The Doubleclicks shared two newer songs along with their staple song Fantasy World. It’s really cool to have such a talented and nerdy duet in our area.

Both Oh, Mr. Darcy and Hollywood Raptor brought the house down with laughter.

Next, Wil Wheaton shared several stories about being part of Star Trek: The Next Generation, his wife, and being an adult addict of Pokémon. Wil always has a way of stealing women’s hearts when he shares how much his wife puts up with and what a romantic heart is in the body of such a goofball!

I couldn’t help but scream, “I CHOOSE YOU, WIL WHEATON!!!” at the top of my lungs while Wil shared his story, Wil Buys a New Game. It’s Super Effective! There was an unspoken bond that no one else in the audience could know (she thinks naively). This GeekMom sat and listened, while proudly wearing her Pokémon gym badges, to Wil admit to purchasing – and enjoying – Pokémon Black for the DS. As an adult who started playing the trading card game this year, I totally related to Wil’s comparison of the shameful feeling of buying condoms or porn for the first time. By the time Wil was finished with his stories, my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard.

Paul and Storm delivered a standard song set with the same musical precision and comic conviction you would expect from the duo. I am not afraid to admit Frogger! The Frogger Musical, Nun Fight, and The Captain’s Wife’s Lament are among my favorite songs and have even used them as ring tones at one time or another.

Segues were even more entertaining than the standard W00tstock as event organizer extraordinaire @Dammit_Liz would bring the guys Oregon brewed beer on stage between jokes and musical numbers. A running joke of the night was, “THANK YOU, BEER JESUS!” which Paul requested be made into a shirt by the end of the night. Yea, you had to be there.

Shortly after eleven, The Captain’s Wife’s Lament concluded. The show ended and this GeekMom can’t wait to see all of these weirdos again. If you get a chance to see one of these shows in your area, don’t hesitate!

**I received a ticket to this show for reporting purposes; I would have gone anyway**

The latest Pokemon game, Pokemon Rumble Blast 3DS, is the first specially designed to take advantage of the more intense graphic and layered views of the Nintendo 3DS.

Two of my kids spend a couple of weeks playing Rumble Blast and pronounced it different from the other games but just as much fun. My younger daughter’s only problem was that she had trouble going up levels. It became a lot harder as she progressed further in the game and eventually, she said it was “nearly impossible” to beat the last one. But she had a lot of fun-trying. (She’s also an impatient player, so I would guess a more patient and experienced one would level up faster.)

Pokemon games tend to be duel-focused and Rumble Blast is no exception but the duels are set up differently. This game’s object is to have a toy Pokemon win all the duels, thus acquiring more toy Pokemon, and making the player (hopefully) powerful enough to defeat the big bad Pokemon waiting for the player at the end of the level.

These big bads–called giant Boss Pokémons in the game, are unique to Rumble Blast. Another new feature is the Battle Royale, in which the toy Pokemon battle each other to be the last one standing.

My kids favorite part was the vast number and variety of the toy Pokemon. There are approximately 600 of them. This includes Pokémon from the Pokémon Black Version and White Version games. It’s also possible to use the wireless connection feature to team up, battle and collect Toy Pokémon together, or use the 3DS system’s StreetPass feature to challenge other players’ toy Pokémon collections.

Throughout the game, both view screens stay in use, allowing for the 3D technology to shine.

If you’re into Pokemon games, I’d recommend this one, as it’s reasonably priced at $34.99. Some of the other 3DS games are $40 and up.

Be still my heart! There is actually a convention for us girls now! It’s in Seattle, so those of you on the East Coast have a ways to trek it (haha, I made a geek funny), but there is indeed a convention made “just for her” and it’s called GeekGirlCon!

That said, I’m dragging my husband with me this weekend to the maiden-voyage of the event. I was looking forward to the GeekGirlCONcert, but it is on Friday night and we won’t make it into Seattle until Saturday. The rest of the weekend proves to be just as entertaining though, with celebrities like Star Wars crafter Bonnie Burton and TV writer Jane Espenson. (I might have a small geek-out if I meet either of these ladies this weekend.) D&D blogger and podcaster @SarahDarkMagic will also be there, and I’m crossing my fingers to run into her and meet her in person (since I have been following her on Twitter FOREVER).

There are a slew of workshops and games to play in the gaming room. With names like Steve Jackson and Looney Labs on the playlist and workshops like “How to Paint a Miniature,” I have a feeling a major part of our weekend will be spent here (since our daughter will be attending too).

There is a Masquerade on Saturday that my daughter and I might take part in or at least attend for photos. We will be wearing our matching Pokémon skirts that were a hit at PAX, but whether we make it depends how tired we are by Saturday evening.

My list of vendors to visit is HUGE. I’m quickly becoming a comic book fan as my daughter is interested in them too. There will be several female comic book authors and artists there to visit. I’m also looking forward to seeing what the Cute Factory is all about and Geek Stained Glass.